The presidential election is growing closer and closer, and with each passing day, it seems, there is a new scandal across the headlines. From Donald Trump’s lewd comments about women to Hillary Clinton’s email controversy, it becomes challenging for Americans to find reliable news sites to help us make our decision on voting day.
As a college student, I find myself relying on websites and phone updates to stay up to date on the election, while my parents watch newscasts like Morning Joe and 60 Minutes religiously for their information.
As the election continues heating up with each debate and new scandal, and the American people comb through different news sites looking for information to help guide us with our decision, I began to wonder about the evolution of news coverage of presidential elections, and the evolution of news coverage in general. How have news broadcasts changed over the years, especially when covering events that will go down in history? How has Americans’ news intake evolved?
I decided to find out.
Lowell Thomas hosted the first news broadcast in the 1930’s, and television newscasts have been Americans’ leading source of news for decades just as David Sarnoff, the president of RCA (the parent company of NBC) predicted.
“Television will be a mighty window, through which people in all walks of life, rich and poor alike, will be able to see for themselves, not only the small world around us but the larger world of which we are a part,” Sarnoff proclaimed.
Throughout the ‘60’s television news struggled to compete with radio and newspapers because of its lack of technology enabling it to get live, on-the-scene reporting. The American people did not rely on TV news in this time, and had a deep-seated trust in newspapers and radio until the Kennedy assassination.
This event showed people that TV news was trustworthy and accurate. There was live footage from Dallas of the assassination, which helped this news platform evolve into what it is today.
Barbara Walters made broadcast history when she became the first woman to co-anchor a network newscast on ABC. The American people were now receiving news from women and people of other races, rather than solely white men. With this addition, news anchors took on more of a team-like persona. Anchors created a playful banter with one another to create a good relationship with viewers.
The introduction of the newsmagazine changed American news intake in a major way. Viewers, like my parents, relied on 60 Minutes and ABC’s 20/20 so much so that similar newsmagazines were created, and became famous for their investigative reporting.
At the end of the ‘90’s the Internet began changing the news industry. Organizations began creating email systems and websites to spread their information and maintain viewership.
The presidential election of 2000, George W. Bush versus Al Gore, forced television news to evolve in order to cover it. This election was, perhaps the closest in history, and the ultimate result relied on Florida. The margin required a recount, and Americans relied on the news to keep them informed. It was the first election in history where the winner failed to win the popular vote, and George W. Bush became our president.
TV news allowed Americans to understand the entire voting and election process, which many were previously unaware of, because of this election.
In modern day news, technology is key.
Websites allow video stories to be posted and viewed with ease, Twitter allows short updates, smartphones allow news organizations’ apps to be downloaded, blogs allow the public to share news at the click of a button, and photo sharing apps and websites provide evidence and updates that were unheard of at the time of the first television broadcasts in 1930’s.
With these new technological advances, it is clear that news intake has evolved. News has, in a way, become generational. My parents will forever trust television news. I, at least for now, will rely on more modern technology to stay updated. And my kids will probably have a futuristic way of receiving news that we can only imagine.
But, when it comes to the 2016 presidential election, regardless of the medium, it is important to stay informed.
